Health Picks

The Real Cure for Autism May Be Found in Our Diet

The dramatic increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, which affect one in 88 children, has generated intense interest in learning the cause of autism as well as better ways to treat and prevent the condition.

Roche, the Swiss drug company, recently gathered together international experts trying to determine the drug treatment for autism. While drugs are life-saving, not every so-called medical disorder is due to a lack of a drug. I am convinced that many of our so-called diseases or medical disorders are not the lack of drugs, but the lack of a proper diet and nutrition. A case in point: Recently, a new study including more than 85,000 Norwegian children born between 2002 and 2008, were followed through the mother’s pregnancy for an average of six years. It was found that women who took folic acid supplements, before and during pregnancy, were about 40% less likely to have a baby later diagnosed with autism, according to this new provocative study, which is generating high interest in the scientific community. Overall, women who took supplements during this period were 27% less likely than others to have a baby with autism spectrum disorder, which includes the most severe form as well as Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. Folic acid, or its natural form folate, is essential for synthesizing and repairing DNA, and appears to play a role in the first few weeks before pregnancy and the weeks of embryonic life before women even know they’re pregnant. Scientists can’t explain, however, exactly how folate prevents birth defects. To ensure that you consume the most effective form of folate, look for L-methylfolate. It is even more effective if you use it together with methylcobalamin (vitamin B12), and P-5-P (vitamin B6).